Friday, October 15, 2010

Another day on the trail

First Paul Loscocco, now Tom Reilly. Boy, Charlie Baker is rounding up those major endorsements.

The man who lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to Deval Patrick in 2006 took to the steps of the Statehouse yesterday to declare his support for Baker -- and to insist he is not bitter, simply angry over Patrick's portrayal of Baker's role in the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care turnaround.

Baker, showing the political instincts that has him scrambling to try and close what should have been an easy sale, failed to show up, unlike when he accepted the backing of Tim Cahill's former running mate.

So is the Holliston turncoat more credible than a former two-term attorney general? Or is Baker concerned the campaign success of attorneys general past and present trying to move up (Scott Harshbarger, Reilly, Martha Coakley) will rub off on him?

Baker aides did round up a number of HPHC female employees, in turn highlighting another one of his apparent problems -- an inability to click with women.

Maybe the Cahill Clique really has gone over to the Baker camp.

And in another sign of concern, the Baker camp offered up two polls, one internal, trying to contradict the Suffolk University Poll that suggested L'Affaire Loscocco is taking its toll on the Republican candidate. That polls somewhat mirrors a Rasmussen Poll, but Baker aides were peddling their own numbers without allowing reporters to look at the underpinnings.

I'm the last person to trust polls, particularly in as volatile political climate as this one, but the actions of Baker's campaign do speak volumes to me about trends. Or at the very least, the concerns they have with less than three weeks to go.